Three Tips for Sealing Pavers the Right Way

Sealing is essentialy carried out to lend life and beauty to pavers. However, in order to lend beauty and protection, the job of sealing pavers has to done efficiently. A sealing job gone wrong can ruin the appearance of the paver and would not provide effective protection and preservation. By following the three tips given below, you can ensure that your sealed paver is attractive and long lasting.

Prepare the surface before sealing

The basic step in sealing pavers is to prepare the surface by weeding out grass, fungal infestation and pressure cleaning. In order to prevent further growth of weeds, you can use one part bleaching powder diluted in ten parts of water. If your paver has intricate patterns with many groves, then the best method is to use beaching solution. This also takes care of fungal growth. The surface has to be cleaned of stains, dirt and all other pollutants stuck on to it. You may also want to replace broken slabs or tiles in the paver. Once the pressure cleaning is done, allow the surface to dry completely before sealing in order to prevent effervescence.

A good way to finish the cleaning process prior to sealing pavers is to sprinkle sand all over it and use a powerful blower to blow away the sand. Sand absorbs any moisture present in the paver and leaves it completely dry. This process is very important while sealing concrete pavers since water seeps into concrete and takes more time to dry when compared to stone pavers.

Choose the right sealer

You have to perform a proper research in order to ensure that the sealer you choose is right. Most of the sealers can be used for all kinds of paving surfaces. However, depending on the climate of your region, you may want to choose a sealer with additional features such as UV protection and enhanced protection against freezing and thawing. If you plan to seal the paver yourself, then water based sealer is a good choice since it is easy to apply and spreads evenly. Further, certain kinds of paving materials react with the chemicals in sealing solution and ruin the paver. Therefore, contact your paving company and clarify about the right solution for sealing pavers. A few sealers need to be applied on wet surfaces, in which case, you have to begin sealing immediately after pressure cleaning.

Arm yourself with all the information

Before you begin the process of sealing, gather all the required information regarding different types of sealers, equipments used for sealing like brushes and rollers, the time required for drying, instructions regarding application of second coat and application procedures. Sealer can come with all instructions. So, make sure that you read them carefully and follow each instruction to the letter. In addition, you need to draw up an estimate of the total quantity of sealer required and the costs incurred.

After sealing pavers, make sure that the paver stays free of footsteps and vehicular traffic for twenty-four hours. The sealed surface also needs to be protected from moisture until it is completely set. Maintaining the sealed paver and recoating it once every three years will lend a longer life to the paver.